Mousetrap



J. W. SHUMATE.

MOUSETRAP. APPLICATION FAILED APR."26, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1,354,700, Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

J.- W. SHUMATE.

MOUSETRAP.

APPLICATION man APR. 26, 1920.

1,354,700. Patented Oct. 5,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH WILLIAM SI-IUMATE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

MOUSETRAP.

Application filed April 26,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH WILLIAM SHUMATE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMousetraps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for itsobject to provide a highly efiicient mouse trap,and to this end, it consists of the novel devices and combinations ofdevices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view;

Fig; 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinalcentral section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, with some parts brokenaway.

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The numeral 5 indicates a base having secured thereto a housing 6, aclosed runway 7 and a shaft 8. A water receptacle 9 is removably securedto the base .5 by clips 10, with which flanges 11, on said receptacle,have sliding interlocking engagement. The water receptacle 9 is providedwith a removable sliding cover 12 having formed therewith and projectingthereabove a longitudinally extended passageway 13. The housing 6 has inits front end upper and lower door openings 14 and 15, respectively, andthe top of the runway 7 is in the form of two steps which lead to saidupper door opening.

As shown, the housing 6 is lighted by making the top thereof from apiece of wire screen, and this top is preferably made removable bysliding interlocking engagement with the housing to affordaccesstherein. An intermediately pivoted trap-door 16 is mounted in thehousing 6 and normally, or when the trap is set, the inner portionthere- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

1920. Serial No. 376,655.

inner edge resting on the trap-door 16 at its pivoted portion.

Obviously, the inner portion of the trapdoor 16 and the platform 17divide the housing 6 into upper and lower compartments 18 and 19,respectively. A pair of links 20 connect the outer portion 16' of thetrapdoor 16 to the platform 17 and when the trap-door is moved into aposition, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2, the links 20 lift theplatform 17 into a position to close the door opening 14. A'bait box 21is secured to the rear end of the housing 1 6 in the vicinity of thefree end of the inner portion of the trap-door 16. Secured to the sillof the door opening 15 is an upwardly and rearwardly inclined flange 22,the upper end of which is normally overlapped by the free end of theouter portion 16 of the trap-door 16. When the trap is set, the outerportion 16 of the trap-door 16 and flange 22 afford a partition betweenthe rear and front portion of the lower compartment 19. Hinged to thetop of the door opening 15 is a gravity-closed door 23 arranged to openby swinging into the runway 7, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2.

The flange 22 forms a stop to prevent the door 23 from opening into thelower com- Dartment 19. The lower end of the shaft 8 leads from theopposite end of the runway 7 from the door opening 15, and its upper endopens into the front end of the passageway 13. The front of the shaft 8is made from a piece of wired screen to afford means on which a mousemay climb from the runway 7 to the passageway 13. The screen front ofthe shaft 8 also affords means through which light is admitted to theshaft and passageway 13 and is preferably made removable to affordaccess to the interior of the shaft. Hinged to the back of the shaft 8is an upwardly and forwardly inclined cut-off gate 24, the upper freeedge of which yieldingly rests against the screen front of the shaft 8under the support 26 secured to the walls of the passageway 13. Itwillbe noted that the inner end of the'trap-door 25 terminates short .of

the rear'end of the passageway 13', and said rear end is preferably maderemovable by sliding mterlockmg engagement with the sides-of thepassageway .13 and has upper and lower light openings 27.

The action of the improved trap may be briefly described as follows iFlour or other meal is preferably. scattered on the top of the runway 7and the step-likesurfaces thereof afford easy means on which a mouse canclimb to the door opening 14. After a mouse is once on top a ing ahouslng having an upper door openof the runway7, it will be attracted bythe bait in the box 21 and enter the door opening 14; and move towardthe'bait box, first on the platform 17 and then on the inner portion ofthe trap-door 16. It may be here stated that the inner portion of thetrapdoor 16 is heavier than the outer portion 16, but the weight of theplatform 17, acting through the links 20, will hold said inner portionraised. The distance to the bait box 21, from the pivotal support ofthetrapdoor 16, is such that a mouse cannot reach the same while hishind feet are on the platform 17'. As soon as all four feet of a mouseare on the inner portion of the trapdoor 16, the same will drop underhis weight and thereby carry'the mouse into the lower compartment 19 ofthe housing.

As previously stated, the downward movement of the inner-portion of thetrap-door 16 will raise theouter portion 1 thereof into a-horizontalposition and, atthe same time, raise the platform .17 by means of thelinks 20 into a positionto close the door opening l' t'and thereby cutoff the escape of the mouse from the trap.

him from escaping into the rear portionof the compartment. Withescape'cut' off in all directions except in the runway'7, the

mouse will be attracted by the light under the gravity-closed door 28,which will yield to the runway 7.

' walking on the trap-door 25.

7 thereof being and permit him to enter said runway.

From the runway 7, the mouse will enter the shaft 8 and climb to thetopthereof on the wire screen.

During the climbing of the mouse on the wire screen, the gate 24! willyield and let him pass thereby, but will prevent return l/Vhen at thetop of the shaft 8, the mouse will be attracted by the light openings27, at the rear of the passageway 13, and try to reach the same by Asthe mouse passes onto the inner portion of the trapdoor 25, the samewill yield and drop the mouse into the water Z in the receptacle 9.

By providing the receptacle 9 with a removable top and 'detachablysecuring the same to the base 5, the same may be readily removed fromsaid base and the contents therein emptied. r

i What I claim is:

1. A trapof the kind described comprising, a trap-door intermediatelypivoted in the housing, the inner portion of the trapdoor beinghorizontal and' the outer portion downwardly inclined, a

hinged platform leading from i the door the housing into upper and lowercompartments, a connection from thetrap-door for moving the platformintoa position to close the door opening when the inner portion of thetrap-door is moved downwardly by the weight of a mouse thereon, thedownward movement of the inner portion of the trapdoor raising the outerportion thereof, the

inner portion .of' the trap-door," when the :trap is sprung, affordingan incline on which the mouse can walk to theoraised outer portionthereof, said raised outer portion of the trap-door arranged to movedownwardly under the weight of the mouse thereon, re-

set the trap and cage the mouse'in the lower compartment of the housing.

- 2. A trap of thekind described comprising ahousing having, an upperdoor opening, atrap-doorinteimediately pivoted in the housing,ft11einner portion of the trapdoor being horizontal and the outerportion'thereof being downwardly inclined, a hinged platform leadingfrom the door opening and overlying the outer inclined portionof thetrap-door, the inner portion of the trap-door and the platform dividingthe housing into upper and lower compartments, the outer-portion ofthetrap-door dividing the lower compartment into inner and outer sectionswhen the trap is set, a

gravity-closed door in said outer section arranged to open away from thetrap-door, a

connection from the trap-door for moving the platform into a position toclose the door opening when the inner portion of the trapsaid raisedouter portion of the trap-door door is moved downwardly by the weight ofarranged to move downwardly under the 10 a mouse thereon, the downwardmovement weight of the mouse thereon, re-set the trap of the innerportion of the trap-door raising and cage the mouse in the outer sectionof 5 the outer portion thereof, the inner portion the lower compartmentof the housing.

of the trap-door, when the trap is sprung, In testimony whereof I affixmy signaaflording an inc-line on which the mouse ture. can walk to theraised outer portion thereof, JOSEPH WILLIAM SHUMATE.

